Can Chemotherapy Be Delivered to the Brainstem in Children?

Solving Kids’ Cancer supported this new trial, which delivers chemotherapy directly into the vertebrobasilar system, because it represents a novel way to treat the disease by targeting the blood supply to these tumors. This delivery method allows doctors to increase the dose of the drug to kill the cancer, while minimizing toxicity in other parts of the body.

Diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma (DIPG) is a very difficult tumor to treat. Located in the brain stem, it cannot be removed surgically and radiation only delays the tumor growth by a few months at best. Additionally chemotherapies have a hard time penetrating the blood brain barrier. This leaves researchers urgently looking for ways to improve survival among children with this disease.

This trial will deliver chemotherapy directly into the vertebrobasilar system, representing a novel way to treat the disease by targeting the blood supply to these tumors. This unique delivery method allows doctors to increase the dose of the drug to kill the cancer, while minimizing toxicity in other parts of the body. This approach may provide safe delivery for other agents to the brainstem as well.